Heading to the Guachaca Region

It's Sunday. We are heading east along the north coast of Colombia to Tayrona National Park via what's known as the Guachaca Region.

A fair bit of lycra out and a few pelotons. Looks like some serious workouts. Roads reasonably quiet. We are on the way to the Guachaca region from Cartagena along the Colombian north coast. I have no idea why it's called the Guachaca Region. This seems to be an Intrepid thing (?), apart from the fact that there is a river here called the Guachaca. I guess that is good enough reason. In fact, this is the Magdalena Department, bounded by the Caribbean Sea to the north and the capital is Santa Marta.

On leaving Cartagena, it is very dry. Palm trees. Glimpses of white-capped waves breaking on the beach. Some waterways and lakes. The usual police presence - as there has been throughout Colombia so far - some are traffic police, some are military standing by the road with firearms: all generally spend their time either just standing or pulling vehicles off to the side of the road for who knows what.

An iguana races across the road. Lots of raptors floating in the up-draughts.

We bypass the city of Barranquilla with a tremendous number of high-rise dominating the skyline; then through a dusty nondescript town (Cienaga, perhaps?): poor, grubby, industrial. About 100 kms to Santa Marta.

We pass through a town busy with markets and a large port just before Santa Marta (which we bypass about midday) and continue along with the coast to our north and mountains looming close by us on the south. The town of Bureche is next, then Pueblito: pretty with nurseries.

Finally, our destination: Posada Villa Margarita at a township called Los Cocos which consists of nothing more (it seems) than a couple of roadside stalls and a bus stop.

We arrive in time for lunch having been on the road since 8:30 a.m. It is delicious: home-cooked. Banana arepas (fritters), fish, rice, avocado.

We spend the afternoon acquainting ourselves with the delightful amenities of our posada set amongst the trees and going to the nearby beach.

We have a nice group; a little older, more mature ...